Live Blog: Men's Lacrosse vs. Duke (Final)

Final: After falling behind 2-0, Notre Dame got seven straight goals from five different scorers to win its season opener against #2 Duke, 7-3. Max Pfeifer and Jim Marlatt scored two goals apiece to fuel the Fighting Irish, but it was an impressive defensive performance that contributed to the upset.

The victory makes it 15 straight in February for Notre Dame, who has not lost in the month since a 10-9 setback against Penn State in 2002.

It's certainly a great way to start the season for the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish, but they have to be a bit concerned by injuries to senior tri-captain Nicholas Beattie and sophomore midfielder Liam O'Connor.

Notre Dame will be back in action next Sunday at 1:00 pm ET vs. Penn State. With any luck, that game will also be played in Arlotta Stadium, but South Bend winters can quickly change.

We'll be back tomorrow at noon ET for the women's opener against Stanford. You can follow along here on Irish UNDerground and catch the live stream only at UND.com.

4th Quarter: As we start the fourth quarter, it's an announced attendance of 2,053 - a great crowd here in the season opener. Duke's junior midfielder Jake Tripucka - son of Notre Dame basketball great, Kelly Tripucka ('81) - made a couple of shots at the Irish goal, but could not cut the deficit for the Blue Devils.

With 5:59 left in the game, Jim Marlatt scored his second goal of the game (assisted by Ryan Foley) - making it a 6-2 game in favor of Notre Dame.

Sophomore Liam O'Connor went down after a helmet-to-helmet collision with a Duke player, leaving the game with 4:25 left.

Senior midfielder Max Pfeifer put the icing on the cake for Notre Dame with 1:05 to play. Scoring his second goal of the game and sealing the Irish victory.

CJ Costabile scored with 17 seconds left, but it was too little, too late for Duke.

3rd Quarter: Duke had several chances early in the quarter, but Notre Dame stayed in control - holding onto its two goal lead, before Max Pfeifer connected on another Irish score, making it 5-2 with 5:10 to play in the third.

After a Duke turnover, Notre Dame took it the other way, looking for the last shot of the quarter, but the Irish also turned the ball over. Still, after five unanswered goals, it's a 5-2 advantage for Coach Corrigan's squad as we head to the fourth quarter.

2nd Quarter: The Irish controlled the second quarter face-off and got a quick shot on goal, but Wigrizer made another save for Duke.

After assisting the lone goal in the first period, Jordan Wolf connected on an unassisted shot with 10:42 to play in the half, giving the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead.

Notre Dame cut the deficit to 2-1 just over a minute later when tri-captain Nicholas Beattie scored the first goal of the season, but the Irish lost the senior to an apparent knee injury on the play.

Duke had multiple chances in the second quarter, but could not extend the lead. Sophomore Westy Hopkins tied the game for Notre Dame with just under four minutes to play in the half. His goal was assisted by senior tri-captain Max Pfeifer.

Less than forty seconds later, Ryan Mix struck for Notre Dame, while Jim Marlatt scored another Irish goal with 2:15 to play in the half. After being kept in check by Duke goalie Dan Wigrizer for much of the game, the Notre Dame offense seemed to figure things out late in the second quarter - scoring three goals in less than two minutes to take a 4-2 halftime lead.

1st Quarter: This is my fifth winter in South Bend, and for Feb. 18, this weather is nothing short of spectacular. It's Junior Parents Weekend and there's a great crowd on hand this afternoon.

Duke won the opening face-off and the Blue Devils' offense controlled the game for nearly three minutes, before getting a goal at the 12:14 mark, as Josh Dionne struck on an assist from Jordan Wolf.

Notre Dame's offense - like a football team with a great running game - controlled the ball for much of the quarter. Despite several good looks at the goal, the Irish could not get it past goalie Dan Wigrizer, who made seven saves. At the end of the first, the Blue Devils lead, 1-0.

Pregame: Only about 15 minutes until the 2012 lacrosse season kicks off for head coach Kevin Corrigan's ninth-ranked Notre Dame squad. The Fighting Irish will take on #2 Duke, the team that ended their playoff run in each of the past two seasons. In 2010, the Blue Devils won their first national title, defeating the Irish 6-5 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Last year, the teams met in the NCAA quarterfinals - Duke won 7-5.

It feels more like football season than mid-February this afternoon, and thanks to some great weather, the Irish will be opening the season in Arlotta Stadium, rather than the Loftus Sports Center, the usual location of these early season contests.

It's Duke's first trip to South Bend, and it should be a good one this afternoon. Catch it beginning at 1 pm ET on ESPN3/ESPNU.